


Intertwined

by wybiegowritey



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M, Grishaverse Big Bang 2020, Inej is a queen as always, Kaz is PINING, Tangled AU, fuck tante heleen all my homies hate tante heleen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26255185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wybiegowritey/pseuds/wybiegowritey
Summary: A thief, a lost child, a tower, a country--a magic unlike any other.For eighteen years, the Suli have searched for a lost girl, lifting lanterns into the night sky on a hot summer’s night each year, marking the day of her birth.For eighteen years, Inej has been watching these mysterious lanterns float into the night sky, and each year her desire to leave her tower has grown.Now, notorious thief Kaz Brekker has just escaped imminent death, a Suli costume piece in hand. He stumbles upon a tower with no visible way inside other than the window at the top. After climbing in and thinking he’s safe from the Fjerdan chasing him, he is met with a frying pan wielding, fiery girl with seventy feet of ebony hair.
Relationships: Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa
Comments: 36
Kudos: 101
Collections: Grishaverse Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was so much fun to write! I've never written Kanej before and I was really struggling with the motivation to write them, and I really couldn't have done this without my gang!

It is said that long ago, a Healer died in a field of flowers. Their blood soaked the ground, seeping into the soil, and made its way to the roots of the field. The next spring, a single flower sprouted, glowing in the night—a healing flower. Some say that it has healing properties and the ability of eternal youth. Others say it is only a myth.

But Heleen Van Houden knew the truth. When she heard of this flower, she searched for it, craving the abilities it possessed, craving that youth. She spent years searching through Kerch, Novyi Zem, the Wandering Isle, Fjerda, and, finally, Ravka—where she found it atop a small hill, glittering as its light swam and shone through the night, erasing shadows and demons.

When she first found it, she had wrinkles lining her mouth and eyes. She was terribly old, not the beauty she used to be. Ugly. Reprehensible. Over time, Heleen figured out that if she sang even just the tiniest melody, the flower would glow brighter, its magical presence flowing through her body as though it were wine—she would immediately feel drunk on its power.

Every wrinkle disappeared in an instant, and her hair turned from that disgusting, peppered white to gold. From there on out, her youth came from the flower, every wrinkle disappearing when she was in the presence of its magic; after a while of coercing the magic, she found that a specific melody enhanced its abilities. She hid the flower inside a false bush, as she valued it as her lifeline.

One night, she went to the flower, her hair shot through with gray, her face pale and her cheeks hollowed and wrinkled. She stepped into the light, feeling its magic flow in its radiance.

 _“Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine,”_ she sung, waving the youth to her. She felt her cheeks fill again, her skin warming with sunlight. “ _Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine._ ”

She opened her mouth to continue her incantation, nearly finished with the spell. 

“There! The flower!”

Heleen opened her eyes and panicked, rushing off into the forest, outside of the flower’s light. She watched as guards from the Suli caravans nearby uprooted the flower. “Finally, Divya may be saved.”

Then Heleen remembered: there had been news that a Suli performer, with only two or so months left before her child would be born, was deathly sick. The villages nearby were scouring for the flower, for its healing properties. It was a valid reason to take the flower, but that did not stop Heleen Van Houden’s anger from rising.

***

If news was correct, the Suli performer had been cured of her illness and had birthed a healthy baby by the name of Inej Ghafa. The soon-to-be acrobat was small and as pretty as a geranium, and she--by the laws of the flower, Heleen presumed--had already had long, thick black hair. Despite being a few days old, joy radiated off of her like she was the sun, bringing even the saddest person comfort.

 _That child must have_ some _of that power,_ Heleen concluded after watching her play with the acrobats. One night, she was in the audience as the Suli performed, balancing on tightropes and swinging, tumbling, catching each other in the air. It was magical.

But she wasn’t there to see the performance. She quietly snuck away from the crowd, making her way to the purple and golden caravan that Inej was sleeping in. Heleen didn’t know where Inej’s mother was, so she would need to act fast. Heleen was humming her song as she took out a pair of scissors, and she could feel magic swell around her. It felt like the warm rays of the sun. All Heleen wanted was a small lock of Inej’s hair, something to keep her youth.

As soon as the lock was cut, however, she felt a shift in the aura, and suddenly the hair she was holding had no value to it. Shock coursed through Heleen’s body at an alarming rate. What was she going to do? That magic was important to her. That magic was her lifeline.

 _Raise the child as your own,_ a voice inside her said. She heard footsteps nearby. She had to act quickly.

On that hot summer’s night, Heleen Van Houden took Inej far, far away, to a tower hidden near the Sikurzoi mountains. She raised Inej as her own, taught her the magic’s melody, grinding it further into her memory with every passing day. Once a year, she would see lanterns in the sky, and she’d shutter the windows so that her little flower wouldn’t see and want to go outside.

Little did she know that Inej saw them. She saw those lights each year on her birthday, and instead of fearing the outdoors, she felt giddy with excitement.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun crept over the trees, blinking through the swaying branches. It brightened the flowers’ coloring, shining through fields and crops. It woke every child from their sleep, taking them away from their dreams and placing them into reality.

Inej Ghafa really, really hated this time of day.

She hadn’t exactly been  _ dreaming _ , but she still hated it when the sun would shine through the windows in her tower, glaring into her eyes until she rolled over to get up. She groaned as she tore off her blankets, pushing herself out of bed.

Having spent seventeen years in this tower, she had her chore list already memorized; first, she had to sweep, mop the floor, polish and wax, do her laundry, and wash the dishes.

By the time Inej finished her chores, it wasn’t even noon. What was she going to do today? She had a stack of books she could reread, she could add more candles to her candle-making collection, paint on the walls, or maybe she could brush her seventy-seven foot long hair.

_ Go outside. _ She looked out the window, at the trees and rocks and mountains surrounding the hidden tower. Her heart yearned for that world, and her curiosity longed to see what every other person on the planet saw. She placed her hands on the windowsill, clenching the wood.

Inej could leave. She could leave any time. Her hair was long enough to get herself out of the tower, she knew how to control it and keep it away from anyone with a sharp object. So what was stopping her?  _ Tante Heleen would kill me. _

That’s what she called her mother—Heleen had insisted on it since she was a child. She was insistent that Inej knew that Heleen was not her real mother. According to Tante Heleen, she was born near Novokirbirsk when the Shadow Fold had grown, and Heleen had simply grabbed her and run from the town. She ran across half the country and kept her in this tower, safe from the world. Inej stayed in the tower, watching the wind rustle through trees that hid the tower for so long, watching the stars each night in all their glory.

But, every year, on Inej’s birthday, she would look out her window and see even more stars in the night—no, not  _ stars _ , but… floating lights. It always started with one of those lights, then at least a hundred of them would fly, swirl with the wind and eventually disappear. It was beautiful, and Inej longed to see those lights.

_ Tomorrow’s my birthday _ , Inej reminded herself.  _ I should ask Heleen if she could let me go. Just this once. _

But for now, Inej had to wait for Heleen to come home. She needed to keep busy. Inej grabbed her hairbrush, and started untangling her hair.

***

After brushing her hair, Inej read those books, then did some stretching, ballet, and painted on the walls. As soon as she got done with her most recent mural—depicting those floating lights—she put away her paints and realized that that was the last spot on the walls for her painting.  _ I’m going to have to ask for an easel soon. _

She’d just started wrapping her hair around the beams for a climb when she heard a voice shouting from the ground. 

“Inej, darling! Let down your hair!” Heleen said in her sing-song voice. “I’m not getting any younger down here!”

Inej jumped. As she walked to the ledge, gathering her hair, her guts turned to twisted steel. It was time to ask her what she wanted for her birthday, and she felt her stomach drop with every second she thought about it.

She placed part of her ebony hair on a hook, letting gravity do its work as Heleen reached to grab it. As soon as Inej felt the familiar, gentle tug on her hair, she started pulling Heleen up. It took a lot of work, but her muscles were used to Heleen’s weight.

Heleen stepped inside the tower, and Inej unhooked her hair, panting.

“Oh, I don’t know how you do that every time without fail, honey,” Heleen praised as she undid the buttons on her cloak. She set down a basket of food. “It must be  _ exhausting _ .”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Inej panted, smiling.

“Then I don’t know why it takes so long,” she teased. Inej frowned, but ignored the feeling of unease. 

She watched as Tante Heleen walked to the mirror, stretching her face. Inej stood next to her, mindful of where her hair was so neither of them would trip, and then took a deep breath.

“Heleen,” she said. “Tomorrow’s a very big day, and I—”

“Inej, look here,” Heleen interrupted, placing her hand on Inej’s shoulder. “I see a beautiful, confident young woman standing right here.” They admired the mirror for a second. “Oh, look, and then there’s  _ you _ .”

Inej frowned again. “I—”

“I’m just teasing, my little flower,” Heleen giggled. “You must stop taking everything so seriously! Now, dear, I’m feeling a little run down, could you sing for me? We can talk after that.”

“Of course,” Inej said impatiently. She quickly placed two chairs next to each other, grabbed her hairbrush and placed it in Tante Heleen’s hand. They both sat down and Inej rushed through the song, feeling the magic flowing through her hair and scalp. “Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine, make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine!”

“Inej—” But the magic was already done. Heleen’s few wrinkles faded, and the bags under her eyes became fuller. Her hair was a fresh golden instead of ash grey. Inej turned to her.

“Okay, Tante Heleen,” Inej began. She began twirling her hair in nervousness. “So, tomorrow is my birthday. I’m turning eighteen, and I was thinking that maybe you could—you know, it’s something I’ve always wanted, and, ah…”

“Inej, stop with the mumbling,” Heleen scolded. She stood up and walked to the kitchen. “It’s  _ so _ annoying.”

_ Why does she have to interrupt me all the time? _ Inej thought but didn’t say. She took a deep breath, pushed the thought out of her head, and climbed on top of the fireplace, where her latest mural resided.

“I want to see the floating lights,” Inej said, pointing to her work. It was a somewhat shoddy job, but it showed bright lights on a dark background, with her and her miles of hair.

“You mean the stars?” Heleen said, turning her head over her shoulder.

“No, these only appear on my birthday,” Inej explained. “I’ve seen these every year, and I can’t help but think that they’re meant for  _ me _ . Please, I need to go and see what they are.”

“Oh, you want to go outside?” Heleen asked. Inej nodded enthusiastically. “I guess I knew this day would come. Inej, you can’t go outside, it’s too dangerous.”

“But—”

“There are thieves and people who want to harm you,” Heleen said. She brushed her fingers through some of Inej’s hair. “They’d only want you for your hair, dear, and they’d do anything for it. You don’t want that, do you? I’m here to protect you and keep you safe, darling.”

Inej pursed her lips. Heleen was right about that—she did not want trouble, or to be kidnapped. But they could go in secret, couldn’t they? Stay hidden? She opened her mouth, but Heleen continued.

“You’re clumsy and naive, anyway. You wouldn’t survive five minutes out there without my help. I’ve raised you all these years and have protected you from harm, and I only ask you one thing: do  _ not _ leave this tower.”

_ Tante Heleen’s right, _ Inej thought as she was pulled into a hug. Inej looked at the window, and reminded herself of the one rule she lived by. “I won’t leave,” Inej promised.

Heleen ran her fingers through her hair again. “Good, my flower.”

Then, they spent the better part of an hour spending time together. They brushed Inej’s hair, played chess, and Inej sketched. When she was looking through her drawers, she saw her light brown ballet shoes, worn out from the last two years of use. She stuck her tongue out in disgust.  _ This would be better to ask for than the floating lights. _

“Tante Heleen,” Inej said, walking down the stairs with the shoes. “Do you remember these shoes you got me for my birthday two years ago? Do you think I could get another pair?”

Heleen took the shoes, examined them, and nodded. “It’ll be a three day trip. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Yes, I will,” Inej assured. She helped Heleen pack for the three day trip, then placed her hair back on the hook to let Heleen out. She watched as Heleen walked through the forest. Past those trees, Inej could see mountains, endless skies, and a whole world just beyond her reach.

She sighed in defeat while her hair swayed with the wind.


	3. Chapter 3

As the sun beat down on a small village on the Ravkan coast, Kaz Brekker wove his way through the large crowds, his cane thumping on the dirt with every other step. Specht and Rotty were walking with him, visibly annoyed by the marketplace, the people buzzing about the Suli caravans nearby. Kaz occasionally bumped into the villagers, slipping money and jewelry from their pockets. While spying on two women, he overheard their conversation.

“They never break their tradition, coming here, do they?”

“Of course not. This is where one of their children was taken from them, so they come here every year to celebrate her birthday by releasing lanterns into the sky.”

“Oh, that’s just terrible! What’s the child’s name?”

“Her name is—”

Rotty pulled Kaz away, snapping his attention from the conversation. Kaz wrenched his arm from Rotty’s hand and continued walking.  _ You’re here on a job, _ he reminded himself firmly.  _ Stop getting caught up in shit like that. _ Why should he care about a family tradition that had nothing to do with him? He’d be out of this town by the time anyone realized their money was gone. Besides, family didn’t mean much to Kaz anymore.

The trio spotted the dark purple and gold Suli caravans just outside of town, the families setting up their stages and tight-ropes. They took a seat outside of a cafe, where they could keep an eye on the wagons. Inside one of them, Kaz could see an altar with candles dripping wax, golden bowls and jewelry hanging off a table with purple and white cloth.

“That one?” Specht asked, nodding slightly to the one Kaz was staring into.

Kaz shook his head. “Too important. I’m not here to ruin offerings for gods.”

They ordered some drinks and pastries, although Kaz despised them. He kept small talk with patrons nearby, but then something shiny caught his eye; a glittering golden crown adorned with fake diamonds and rubies sat on a wooden mannequin head. It was probably a costume piece for one of their shows. Kaz could probably make it look and feel like real jewels, if he knew who to sell to. 

“Bullseye,” Kaz muttered. He stood up, tightened his gloves, and unhooked his satchel. Specht and Rotty checked their pockets, but did not get up. When he saw that no one was inside or near the wagon with the crown inside, Kaz leaned in and grabbed it. He tucked it into his satchel.

He stepped out of the wagon to face a Suli man around his age, maybe a little older. He said something, his voice in a questioning tone, and Kaz shrugged. He made a gesture, as if to say “ _ I was just looking, sorry” _ and started walking away, his satchel thumping against his hip.

But then the man stopped him again, pointed to his satchel, and Kaz sighed. He made sure the flap was latched on, braced himself for what he was about to put his leg through, and ran. Men yelled and he heard footsteps behind him, but Kaz didn’t spare them a glance. He assumed some of the villagers were chasing him, too.

Specht and Rotty joined him from the other side of town, and they ran through the forest, dodging boulder after boulder, branch after branch, until finally they ran into a dead end. The cliff was too high for any of them to just jump up and reach, and too smooth to climb. But if they climbed on top of each other… Kaz turned to the both of them.

“Boost me up!” Kaz demanded.

“Give us the bag,” Rotty said.

“Don’t you trust me?”

“No.”

“Fine.” Kaz unslung his satchel, gave it to Rotty, and they made a human tower, making sure Kaz was on top. His hands searched for purchase on the top of the cliff, and he eventually made it on top. He turned to the men below.

“Okay, help us up!” Specht said. 

The villagers were nearing, Kaz could see them in the distance. There was one near the front who was very tall, very blonde, and very angry. Kaz smirked, slinging the satchel back on. Specht and Rotty’s eyes widened in betrayal. “Sorry, boys, I got my hands full.”

Kaz pushed himself to his feet, and despite the sharp pain in his leg, he kept running. He could hear Specht and Rotty trying to fight their way from the crowd, and felt no remorse for them. He wouldn’t be taken to jail in another country alive. 

But someone from the village was still on his heels, though.

Kaz jumped over logs and made sharp turns in attempts to thwart his chaser. It was no use; the villager grabbed his arm, twisting him around, and they both went down together.

His opponent threw the first punch. It was a hard knock to the jaw, and pain exploded through Kaz’s cheek, his teeth rattling. Kaz raised his knee to the man’s groin hard, and then kicked him in the chest to put distance between them.

He tried standing up, but his blonde-haired opponent was quick to jump out and grab his ankle, pulling him to the ground once more. Kaz threw the bag as far away as he could, and he started throwing punches. The two tackled their way to the satchel. His lip was probably split, and his temple was exploding with pain.

“Get the fuck off of me!” Kaz growled, clawing at the man’s back.

“Not until you return that crown!” his opponent replied in broken Ravkan.

“You’re not even Ravkan! Why do you care?”

“Because—”

His words were lost in screams as they both tumbled over a small cliff, Kaz scrambling for the bag a second before gravity grabbed at his ankles, pulling him. He saw his opponent disappear into the thicket of trees before he also did, branches cutting at his face and rocks bruising his back and sides.

Kaz rolled into some bushes, and although his muscles screamed at him to stop, he knew he couldn’t. He pushed himself to his feet, half-running, half-limping through the forest. He dove behind a thicker layer of bushes and trees, letting nature be his camouflage.

He saw the not-Ravkan opponent look around. His hair was short, somewhat gelled back, and he wore a tunic and trousers. He had a black eye swelling, and cuts and bruises adorned his arms and face. He was very obviously Fjerdan, so Kaz was still confused about why he cared so much about a Suki costume piece.  _ I need him to leave. _

The Fjerdan jogged the other way. Kaz backed up into the woods, against what he thought was another wall of rock, but instead found an entrance to a tunnel. He followed it, finding a chasm with more grass than he’d ever seen back in Kerch, a small pond where birds bathed and sang, surrounded by flowers.

But the one thing that caught his attention, the only thing that was impossible to miss, was the ginormous stone tower. He spotted a window at the very top and limped towards the bottom, looking for an entrance.  _ Fuck, guess I’ll have to climb. _

He started climbing, almost losing his footing a few times, his leg screaming at him. He still pushed through, and eventually made it to the window. He quite literally rolled inside, landing on his back, and let out a large sigh.

“ _ Finally _ ,” Kaz beamed, sitting up. He looked at the satchel. “I’m fr—”

But then, something hit the back of his head, and he fell. The last thing he saw before blacking out was black— _ strings? _ —wrapping around the high beams like a dark, terrifying web.


	4. Chapter 4

Inej held her frying pan in the air, terrified by the man inside her home. He was bruised and cut up, and his hair covered his face. A thousand questions flooded her mind as she tried to get a grip of what to do.  _ How did this thief get inside? Where did he come from? Why is he here? What should I do about him? _

She slowly, carefully, bent down next to him. With her frying pan, she flipped the man’s hair from his closed eyes, and realized that he wasn’t really a man; he was more like a boy who had just been in too many fights.

Inej carefully flipped him onto his back, and saw a brown bag in his hand. She took it from him, stepped at least ten feet back, and dropped it. Then she went back to the body. 

_ Is he here to take my hair? _ Inej wondered, new fear coiling around her stomach like a snake tying up its dinner. She took in a shaky breath.  _ Tante Heleen isn’t here to protect me. I have to take care of him my own way. _

She grabbed one of the wooden chairs sitting near the stairs leading to her room, and tried picking him up. But the thief’s limbs just constantly fell. How could someone be so heavy? 

Using her hair, Inej wrapped it tightly around his torso, and heaved him into the chair. She used the rest of her hair to fasten his limbs to the chair arms and legs, making sure he had no means of escape.

“Okay, I have a person tied to a chair,” Inej said, her voice wavering. The realization set in more, and she smiled, doing her best Heleen impression. “ _ ‘You can’t handle yourself out there!’ _ Tell  _ that _ to my frying pan.”

Despite her hair being used to keep an unconscious thief from escaping, Inej still had at least sixty feet of her hair hanging on the beams and sitting on the floor. Her eyes followed the path, stopping at the mirror. Something twinkled at her, and she looked in her reflection to see the bag again. Something shiny was inside.

Inej dug through the bag, finding a piece of jewelry. It was a large gold band with diamonds and rubies adorning it. She thought it was a bracelet at first, but after putting it on, she realized it was too big.

_ Maybe it’s a necklace? _ But there was no clasp anywhere, and the band was not a chain. Inej turned to the mirror, her hands still fiddling with the strange piece of jewelry.  _ Maybe it’s like a hat? _

Inej carefully placed it on her head, mesmerized by the way the jewels glittered in the light. The gold was a sharp contrast against her dark hair, but it almost felt… right. It felt like the jewelry should be on her. Like it belonged to her.

The thief’s boot caught Inej’s attention in the mirror, and Inej took it off in disappointment. She wanted to keep the strange object, but if she kept it, wouldn’t that make her a thief as well? She couldn’t do that. She placed it inside the bag, pulled back part of the wood of the stairs, and stuck it inside. No one would be able to find it there.

Inej jumped when she heard a raspy groan from the thief’s throat. She quickly dragged the chair so the thief was not facing the stairs, and she waited, new fear coiling around her body.

The thief opened his eyes. Inej gripped her frying pan.


	5. Chapter 5

Kaz’s vision was still hazy as he tried getting a better look at his surroundings. The walls were painted over with flowers and birds, bright colors against the dark skinned girl in the paintings. When he looked down, he realized he was tied to a chair, and his jaw dropped in shock.

Kaz had been tied up with rope. With cuffs. With chains. Every time he’d managed to get himself out. But the one thing he found he could not get out of now, was—

“Is this hair?” Kaz asked incredulously, following the trail to a girl hidden in the shadows. He couldn’t see her face or her body, just her hair. Her tons and tons of hair.  _ How could _ anyone  _ have so much hair? _

“Struggling—ah—struggling is pointless,” the girl said, terrified. Kaz’s brows furrowed. “I know why you’re here, and I’m not afraid of you!” 

“What?”

Then, the girl stepped into the light. She was short and lean, and her smooth, sepia brown skin glowed in what sunlight shone through the window. Her dark brown eyes seemed to pierce to his heart, and part of her hair fell into her face.

“Who are you?” she asked, raising her frying pan in warning. “And how did you find me?”

“Kaz Brekker,” Kaz said, steeling himself.  _ You’re trapped in a tower right now. You can’t be distracted.  _

“Who else,  _ Kaz Brekker _ , knows my location?” she asked. 

Kaz rolled his eyes. “Alright, uh—what’s your name?”

“Inej.”

“Alright,  _ Inej _ ,” Kaz said. He waved his gloved fingers in the air, trying to gesture, but he was annoyingly reminded of her hair holding his wrists down. “Here’s the deal: I was walking through the forest, and came across the tower. I’m sorry I stepped in your home. If you just let me get my—my satchel!” Kaz began to writhe, trying to wiggle his way out of Inej’s hair. “Where’s my damn satchel?”

“I hid it,” Inej said with pride, crossing her arms. He looked around, pointed to a pot. She shook her head. He rolled his eyes again. She started circling the chair. “What do you want with my hair? To cut it? To sell it?”

“What? No!” Kaz couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This girl was insane. “The only thing I want to do with your hair is get out of it.  _ Literally _ .”

“You—wait, you  _ don’t _ want my hair?” Inej asked incredulously.

“ _ Why _ on earth would I want your hair?” Kaz said. “I was being chased, I saw a tower, I climbed it—end of the damn story!”

“You’re telling the truth?” Inej asked, mindlessly pointing the frying pan at his head. He leaned back.

“Yes!” Kaz shouted, exasperated. “Now can you  _ please _ get your pan away from my head?”

Inej stepped back from him, and her brows knitted together. She began pacing, pulling the chair around, and Kaz found himself on his side, still tied to the chair. He groaned as his hair flopped into his eyes, and he could see Inej climb on top of the fireplace. She pulled back a curtain, revealing a mural of bright colors against a dark blue background.

“Do you know what these are?” Inej asked.

Kaz thought they were stars, but there was no way that this girl  _ didn’t _ know what stars were. She couldn’t have been that much of a hermit. He thought on it for a second, and then said, “I think they’re the lanterns this village nearby lights up every year.”

Inej’s lips twisted into a small smile. But then she looked back at him. “Take me to see these lanterns, Brekker, and return me here safely. Then you will get your bag.”

“No,” Kaz snapped. “That village and I don’t have a good relationship. I can’t—”

Inej knocked her frying pan against her hand. She leapt down from the fireplace, took up her hair, bringing the chair to standing while dragging him toward her. “Something brought you here, Kaz Brekker. Whether it was fate, or destiny—”

“A dumbass Fjerdan who can barely speak Ravkan.”

“—I’ve made the decision to trust you—”

“A horrible decision, really.”

“Stop interrupting me,” Inej snapped. She pulled her hair, and Kaz started to fall forward, but she caught the chair with one hand so they were merely a few inches apart. “Bottom line is: you can tear this tower brick by brick, but you will not be able to find your precious satchel without my help.”

Kaz needed to think, but nothing was itching at him from the back of his mind. No clever solutions came to him like they usually would in a situation like this. He sighed. “ _ Fine _ . I’ll take you to see the lanterns.”


	6. Chapter 6

Inej freed Kaz from his bonds, gathering up her hair. As Kaz began his journey down the side of the tower, Inej placed her hair on the hook one last time. Her frying pan was tucked under her arm, her hands clenching at her hair.

The view from her tower suddenly shook her to her core. She hadn’t realized how high up she’s always been, with everything looking so small. It was going to be huge the second she touched the ground.  _ Ground _ , Inej thought.  _ I’m finally doing it. I just have to jump. _

“Are you coming?” Kaz called from below. Inej looked down. He was standing with his hands on his hips, impatient. Inej took a deep breath, let go of her hair, and watched as gravity pulled it down. She smirked when it dropped near Kaz, his jaw dropping in true shock.

Using her hair as a rope, she leapt off of the window sill. The wind pushed her hair out of her face, her dress flying, watching as everything she’d once been above of suddenly tower over her in every color she’d ever seen. 

Inej stopped just a few feet from the grass, tucking her legs to her chest, heaving. What did grass feel like? Was it mushy? Was it sharp? Would it hurt her bare feet? There was only one way to find out.

Slowly, she put down her foot, then the other, reveling in the way the grass felt soft and cool compared to the hard stone floors of her tower. The bright sun warmed her cheeks and body, and she turned in circles, unable to wipe her smile from her face. 

The first thing she did was lay down. Her hands tangled with the blades of grass, bright from the sunlight, and she didn’t care that her dress would get dirty. She rolled through the grass, and she yelped when she heard a splash.  _ The pond.  _ It was cold and she marveled at the way it glittered and held her reflection.

Inej pushed herself to her feet, adrenaline and excitement coursing through her, and she looked back at Kaz. He was staring at her—not awestruck, exactly—more like shocked. Her smile grew.

“I’m completely free!” Inej exclaimed, laughing. “I can go running, and racing, and leaping, and dancing, and—”

Her mind was reeling with the possibilities. She looked at the tunnel, and with all the adrenaline built up inside of her, she ran. She ran through the grass, through the tunnel, leaving her trail of hair to deal with later. She sprinted into the forest, arms outstretched towards the branches and the light.

Kaz followed her outside, and they looked at each other. He looked rather annoyed, but wasn’t saying much.

“Thank you,” Inej said. “I really appreciate this.”

“Save your thanks for later,” Kaz said. “After I get my bag back.”

“Right.”

They began their trek through the forest. The trees were ginormous. Impossibly huge. How had she been nearly at their level for the past eighteen years? How had she not realized how high her tower was until now?

_ What would Tante Heleen think? _ Inej thought suddenly, her stomach dropping. She had disobeyed the woman who raised her, broke the one rule they had—what would she do? Inej would be more grounded than she already was.

But when Inej looked at Kaz, with his cane silently thumping against the ground, she was reminded that Kaz would bring her home safely, before Heleen even got home. So she pushed the thought out of her head and decided to worry about it later.

Kaz led her to a light dirt path with wheel tracks laid parallel to each other. The rocks were jagged beneath her feet, and she sucked in a breath in pain. Kaz tightened his gloves.

“Are you hungry?” Kaz asked. “There’s a restaurant around here.”

“Oh, that’d be great!” Inej exclaimed. “What’s it called?”

“The Snuggly Duckling,” he said, pointing in the other direction. “I have a couple friends waiting for me there.”

“Oh, then let’s meet your friends first,” Inej said. “Then get to that village.”

“Right,” Kaz said, unamused. “You might want to gather up your hair. There’s horse shit.” 

Inej nodded, grabbing her hair in armfuls as they started walking down the dirt path. She marveled at the swaying branches, tempted to climb them, and she had to physically stop herself. As they walked down an incline, she closed her eyes and listened to her surroundings. The birds chirping, the wind brushing back stray hairs, and the movement of the dirt as they walked. She really enjoyed the crunch of the gravel beneath Kaz’s shoes.

Before she knew it, they were at the restaurant. Inej could see people— _ real life people, _ Inej thought in excitement—through the windows, laughing and talking and eating. She dusted off her dress, tucked part of her hair behind her ear, and opened the door.

Inside, the tavern was bustling with patrons, and suddenly Inej felt self-conscious. What if she put herself in danger? What if she put Kaz in danger? What if someone wanted her hair? Kaz guided her to the other side of the room, where five people sat in a booth.

“Kaz, where have you been?” one person asked. “Where’s the—”

“Zip it, Chu,” Kaz said sternly, eyeing them. He sat down next to them, and Inej sat across from him. “It’s a long story.”

“Who’re you?” Chu asked, pointing a finger at Inej.

“Hey, don’t go asking questions so rudely,” a girl with dark brown hair said, crossing her arms.

“I just wanted to  _ know _ , Kaya.”

“Zip. It.” Kaz commanded through gritted teeth. “Both of you, or else I’m sending you back to Ketterdam.”

The two of them snapped their mouths shut. Inej couldn’t help but giggle. She explained their deal to Kaz’s group, much to Kaz’s annoyance. She learned that the other people’s names were Dee, Claire, Shelby, and Nina. Apparently, Kaz had trained them in a gang in Kerch, and although he’d told them that he didn’t want them with him on this job, they’d followed him anyway.

They were exchanging stories when a burly man slammed his fist on the table, catching their attention.

“Are you Kaz Brekker?” the man asked, staring at Brekker. He held out a flyer smugly, but Kaz’s face was deadpan. The man seized his arm. “Get the guards! This one’s worth a lot of money.”

Before Inej could open her mouth, Nina launched herself over the table, kicking the man in the jaw. The man let go of Kaz, who lifted his cane to hit him, but the man caught it and pulled Kaz off of his seat.

A fight broke out quickly. Inej couldn’t tell who was who, let alone who was winning. She leaped out of the way of a small man who had his nose broken by Dee. Eventually, she caught sight of Kaz, who was fighting four men at once. “Kaz—!” 

She yelped as a petite woman knocked into Inej, falling to the ground in a bloody heap. Inej saw she wore sheathes of knives, and she grabbed for them. Turning back to find Kaz in a headlock, she climbed onto the table.

“Stop!” she shouted over the clamor. No one heard her, and her anger rose to her throat. She threw the daggers at the man holding Kaz in a headlock, pinning him to the wall. Again, she shouted, “STOP!”

The entire tavern stopped this time, turning their attention to her. She stared at everyone angrily, not stepping down from the table. “Are you all out of your minds?” she said. She held out another dagger. “He’s supposed to be taking me to see the floating lights and if you don’t let him go I will not hesitate to cut you.”

She couldn’t uphold her threat, though. Outside the window, she could see villagers coming towards the tavern. The patrons all scrambled to get Kaz’s crew, and before they could snatch Inej, she leaped off the table and behind the counter, where Kaya, Nina, and Kaz were hiding. Kaz let out a relieved, but stressed, sigh.

“What’re we supposed to do?” Inej asked, terrified.

“There’s a tunnel leading out,” Nina whispered. “You need to get out of here.”

“I can’t just leave you here,” Kaz muttered back. “You’d go to jail.”

“Kaz, go,” said Nina. “We’ll keep them busy as long as possible.”

Kaya opened the tunnel’s entrance, quietly sneaking them out. Inej turned to say thanks, but Kaya had shut the door already.

Heleen saw the commotion in the Snuggly Duckling, and curiosity got the best of her. She hovered by the front door, listening in on the villagers.

“We need to get that Suli costume piece,” said a villager. “They’ve suffered enough.”

_ Suli? _ Heleen thought, her heart hammering in her chest. She turned on her heel and sprinted towards the tower, fear gripping at her like a hand squeezing someone’s throat. Was someone looking for Inej? Was she going to be hurt?  _ Inej is too vulnerable to handle herself.  _

She ran through the tunnel, screaming Inej’s name. When no hair came out of the tower, Heleen’s fear only doubled. She scrambled around the back of the tower, digging rocks and boulders out, revealing a passage into the tower.

Heleen ran up the stairs, shouting for Inej. She didn’t see a single strand of hair anywhere in the tower, and her dread only doubled. In the mirror, she saw something glint in the light. It was underneath the staircase leading to Inej’s room. Prying open the flooring, she was shocked to find a brown leather satchel. When she peered inside, she almost threw the bag across the room; a Suli costume piece was sitting inside.

_ Did Inej find out? _ Heleen thought. She dug through the bag, her fingers closing around a piece of paper. When she brought it out, she realized she was staring at a wanted poster. On it was a picture of a man no older than eighteen, his jaw set, and his eyes cold. In large text, she read,  _ WANTED: KAZ BREKKER. Dead or Alive. _

She crumpled the poster, anger rising from her core. 

Kaz Brekker stole her little flower. 

Heleen grabbed a dagger from a drawer.  _ Brekker will die tonight. _


	7. Chapter 7

As Kaz’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, his hands fumbled with the matches to light the lantern. Once he got it lit, he and Inej began their walk through the tunnels. The light was dim, but they could at least see each other.

Kaz thought about what had happened in the tavern, the way Inej caught everyone’s attention to save him. He couldn’t help but admire that—she seemed to command the room. 

“I didn’t know you had  _ that _ in you,” Kaz said, his voice echoing through the tunnel. “That was—”

“I know!” Inej said excitedly. She cleared her throat and changed the subject. “So, where are you from?”

“I don’t do backstories,” Kaz said sternly. “I am, however, interested in  _ yours _ . I know I’m not supposed to mention the hair, so here’s my question: if you want to see the lanterns so badly, why haven’t you gone before?”

“Uh…” Inej’s voice trailed off. They heard shouting behind them, and Kaz could see torches and lanterns in the distance. As the lights came closer, Kaz realized that the villagers were chasing them. “Kaz—”

“Run!” Kaz said. Inej gathered her hair in armfuls as they ran through the tunnels, the villagers hot on their heels. When they saw the end of it, Kaz smashed the lantern on the ground to give them more time.

The sunlight blinded them as they ran out, barely stopping before they would have fallen over a cliff. Kaz scanned the cliffs surrounding them, vaguely registering the water rushing down the wooden pipes of a mining system. There were two small caves far below where they could run to.

Two figures emerged from the left cave, weapons in hand. With closer speculation, Kaz realized they were Specht and Rotty. He cursed.

“Who is that?” Inej asked, pointing to the criminals.

“They don’t like me,” Kaz quickly explained. They turned to see the villagers cornering them against the edge. They had to get out of here. He had to think of something.

“Who are  _ they _ ?” Inej asked again.

“They don’t like me, either!”

Right on cue, the Fjerdan from the day before came barreling through the crowd, face red with anger, a dagger in his hand. Kaz cursed again.

“And who is  _ that _ ?”

“Inej, let’s just assume that no one here likes me!”

Inej sighed, shoving her pan in his hands. She then took her hair and lassoed it around a wooden beam protruding out of the cliffside, using it as a rope to swing to another platform underneath a pipe. She landed, turning to him with a satisfied grin. If Kaz wasn’t about to get into a fight with at least a dozen angry villagers, he would’ve kept staring at her.

Two villagers attacked him first. Kaz swung with the frying pan, knocking one villager out immediately— _ The frying pan  _ is _ a good weapon, _ Kaz thought with surprise. With his other hand, he used his cane to immobilize the other villager. A third villager rushed him, knocking him to the ground.

Before the villager could even throw a punch, Kaz grabbed his face and shoved him off. He jabbed the end of the cane into his eye socket before taking on the rest of the villagers. At some point, he lost the frying pan, but his cane was enough. The Barrel hardened him. He knew he wasn’t easy to beat.

The Fjerdan was last. Kaz kept his distance away from the dagger, trying to find a way to jab at him. Eventually, Kaz numbed the big man’s arm by hitting him in between the shoulder blades. The Fjerdan cried out as he fell, unable to get up.

“Kaz, catch this!” Inej yelled, grabbing Kaz’s attention. He turned to see the ends of her hair flying towards him, and he barely caught it. He made himself a sort of harness and without question, he jumped off the platform.

As Inej held him up, Kaz saw Specht and Rotty far below, knives drawn. Before they could do anything, he kicked them both in the head. Then, he landed on top of one of the pipes, water rushing down.

To his horror, the Fjerdan was pushing on one of the beams keeping up the wooden pipes. It gave way as water started spilling out of the dam, and it landed perfectly as a bridge to the platform he and Inej were on.

“Inej, jump!” Kaz shouted as he started gathering Inej’s hair in his arms. He used all his muscle to keep her from falling as she leaped off, swinging towards the ground. He internally mocked the Fjerdan as he stood on the platform, dumbfounded.

As soon as Inej gracefully tumbled near one of the cave entrances, he released her hair and slid down the dam’s wooden frame, water tumbling down the cliff. He landed hot on Inej’s heels, barely hesitating to help her gather her hair in their arms. He heard Specht and Rotty’s shouts as they were swept up in the water, and despite everything his muscles were telling him to, he pushed himself to run faster. They had to get to the cave. They wouldn’t die here. He wouldn’t allow it. He wouldn’t die like—

Kaz heard the crack of rocks breaking, and he made the mistake of turning his head. To his horror, a wave had crashed into a tower of sandstone, causing it to crumble in front of the cave entrance. He quickened his pace, keeping his focus on the cavern. He ignored the rock’s shadow engulfing them.  _ We’re gonna make it. _

Inej made inside first, panting as the rock crashed in front of the entrance, drowning the two in darkness. Water rushed into the small cavern, and Kaz’s breaths started coming in heavier.  _ Jordie _ . He and Inej pushed to try getting to higher ground. He would not be another lifeless body in the water.

“It’s too dark, I can’t see!” Kaz panted as the water reached their knees. Kaz and Inej slammed their hands against the rocks above them, attempting to give them some way out. He cursed as a rock cut through his glove, his hand stinging from the scratch. Kaz then jammed the end of his cane between two boulders, trying to pry the rocks apart. The water was above their waists. “Shit! It’s no use!”

“Let me try!” Inej shouted in panic. She took a deep breath and dove into the flooding cavern, but Kaz grabbed her hand and dragged her back to him. Inej couldn’t leave him like that.

“Hey—hey! Inej,” he said, pushing the mop of wet hair from her face.  _ Don’t leave me.  _ “There’s no point, it’s pitch black.”

Inej stopped fighting him, leaning against the wall, panting. A shuddering sob escaped her. “This is all my fault,” she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I should’ve listened to my mother. I’m so—I’m so sorry, Brekker.”

_ Jordie would want her to know this, _ Kaz thought. He cringed slightly, and let out a sigh. He laid a hand on her shoulder. “It’s Rietveld.”

Inej looked up at him. “What?”

“My name,” Kaz said.  _ If one person should know it, it’s her. _ “Kaz Rietveld. If I’m going to die, you should know it.”

Inej let out a half -sob, half-laugh. She sniffled. “I have magic hair that’s attracted to the life around me when I sing.”

“Wait, what the  _ fuck _ ?” Kaz said. Just when he thought this girl was sane, she says something like that.  _ Is that why she’s so worried about her hair? _ “Who has magic—”

“I have magic hair…” Inej’s voice trailed off as something—realization?—dawned on her. The water rose to their collarbones. “I have magic hair that’s attracted to the life around me when I sing! That’s how we’ll get out! Just trust me!”

“Okay!” Kaz’s mind was reeling with the new information, but he had no choice but to trust her. Inej opened her mouth and started singing quickly.

_ “Flower gleam and glow. Let your power shine—” _

They drew in their breaths as their heads went below the surface. Kaz was expecting to start panicking, but for some reason, he felt more at ease. It felt like the months before Jordie’s death, before they’d ever gone to Ketterdam. It felt like the days on the farm when the sun would set, a breeze cooling the sweat off his father’s brow. It felt like those weeks when he would be running from his brother for stealing a toy, giggling and screeching as Jordie caught his shirt collar. It felt like bliss.

_ It’s the hair. The hair is what’s doing this, _ Kaz realized, almost letting out the air in his lungs in shock. Inej’s hand wrapped around his wrist, guiding his hand to a few loose rocks. They started digging, pushing boulders and pebbles out of their way, until finally they fell into a river. They half-swam, half-floated to a grassy shore, gasping for breath as they climbed out of the water. 

“She has magic hair,” Kaz coughed, flopping onto his back. Inej was already climbing out, wringing her hair. She was saying something, but Kaz couldn’t hear her. “I didn’t see that coming. The hair is  _ actually _ magical.  _ Why _ is her hair magical?”

“Kaz Rietveld!” Inej shouted, snapping Kaz out of his thoughts. He looked up at her, not bothering to wipe the hair from his eyes. “It’s a long story. Let’s set up camp and I’ll explain it to you.”

Kaz pushed himself to his feet, and they made their way into the woods. He couldn’t shake the nostalgic feeling off of him—it reopened wounds he wasn’t sure if he was ready to open again. But he’d stupidly told Inej his name. There was a lot of explaining to do.

***

Heleen was walking through the woods, a jagged knife in hand. She was following a trail of broken twigs with a long stretch of overturned earth that told her that Inej walked through this part of the woods. What if she was scared, alone? What was that Brekker thief doing to her?

She heard coughing and wheezing a few feet away, and she sprinted behind a tree. She gripped the dagger, taking a peek around the trunk. She was not expecting to find two men stumbling through the woods, shivering and wet.

“I’ll kill him,” breathed one. He had tattoos adorning his body, and he was covered in water. “I’ll kill Brekker myself.”

_ Brekker, _ Heleen thought, anger seeping into her heart.

“We’ll cut him off at the village,” said the other. “We’ll get the crown then.”

In Heleen’s mind, an idea began. It was a plan to get Inej back, and to get rid of the thief once and for all. Kaz Brekker would pay for stealing her flower. He would pay in blood.

She tucked her dagger away and stepped in front of the men, who stopped in their tracks and tensed, ready to grab their weapons. She held out her hand.

“Oh, please, there’s no need for that,” she said, holding out the satchel with the crown in it. One of them leaped towards her, but she stepped out of the way. “I have your crown, but I have something that’s worth more than one thousand crowns.”

“Yeah?” The tattooed one asked rhetorically. “What’s that?”

“Revenge on Kaz Brekker.”


	8. Chapter 8

It took until well after the sun set for Inej and Kaz to find an area to sleep for the night. Kaz was silent as he set up a fire, and they sat on tree roots.

“You’re hurt,” Inej began. She reached for Kaz’s scraped hand. “Let me fix that.”

“ _ No _ .” Kaz clutched his hand to his chest. “I don’t do touching. I told you that.”

“I’ll try not to touch you,” Inej said. She grabbed a clump of her hair. “My hair heals, too. Come on.”

It took a while to coax Kaz into taking off his gloves, let alone hold out his hand. It seemed painful for him to even do the action, and Inej felt horrible. Whatever happened to Kaz in the past clearly hadn’t left him. He flinched as she put her hair in his hand, carefully wrapping it around the palm to make sure she didn’t touch him.

“This is slightly cryptic,” Kaz said. Inej tightened her hair, and he sucked in a breath.

“I’m sorry,” Inej said. “Just… don’t freak out, okay?”

Kaz nodded, and Inej began to sing.

_ Flower gleam and glow, _

_ Let your power shine, _

_ Make the clock reverse, _

_ Bring back what once was mine…  _

Kaz’s eyes widened as the aura Inej had grown up with surrounded them. He looked around the area where her hair was laying, shock written all over his face. She felt the healing already working. 

_ Heal what has been hurt, _

_ Change the Fates’ design, _

_ Save what has been lost, _

_ Bring back what once was mine… _

As Inej finished, the magic was already going away. Kaz carefully unwrapped his hand, audibly gasping. He looked from her to his hand, back to her, and back to his hand.

“What the—”

“Please don’t freak out!”

“I’m not freaking out, no! I’m just—very interested in your hair!” Kaz said rapidly, completely freaking out. He clamped his mouth shut, his eyes wide. He put the glove back on and took a deep breath. “How long has it been doing that? The magic thing?”

“My whole life,” Inej said. “My mother used to tell me that when I was a baby, people tried to cut it. But when that happens, the magic is gone. It loses its power. A gift like this has to be protected. That’s why I never…”

“You never left that tower,” Kaz finished. Inej nodded silently. “And you’re still going to go back?”

“No. Yes,” Inej began. She put her head in her hands. “It’s complicated.”

“I… I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s fine,” Inej said. She sighed, pushing her hair out of her face and sitting up. “So… Kaz Rietveld, huh?”

“Oh, so it’s  _ my _ turn for the sob story?” Kaz tried to joke. Inej giggled. He attempted to smile, but it came out more like a snarl. He sighed. “To put it simply, I had a brother. After our father died, we had gone to a city and… this plague hit. He ended up dying, and… shit happened. I can’t do skin-to-skin contact because of it. I changed my name. You can’t tell anyone about this, okay?"

“Your secret’s safe with me,” Inej promised.

“Good,” Kaz said, standing up. “I’m going to get more firewood.”

“Okay,” Inej said. “For the record, I like Kaz Rietveld much better than Kaz Brekker.”

Something flashed across Kaz’s face, and that anger and steel in his eyes that he’d been carrying ever since they met softened. “Thanks.”

Inej watched him go, unable to wipe her smile off of her face. She admired Kaz—his resilience and wit, the way he thought through situations and did everything he could to stay alive. She couldn’t help but feel— 

“Thank the Saints, I thought he’d never leave!”

Inej jumped, whirling around to see Tante Heleen, her cloak tied tightly around her shoulders, hood covering her face. Something about her smile sent a chill through Inej’s body. As Inej stood up, Heleen embraced her.

“Tante Heleen, how did you find me?”

“Oh, I followed the smell of betrayal and found you here,” Heleen said nonchalantly. Inej sighed, guilt flowing through her. “Come on, we’re going home. Now.”

“Wait, you—you don’t understand,” Inej said as Heleen began pulling her away from the fire. “I’ve seen and learned so much, and I—I even met someone, and—”

“Yes, the wanted thief? I’m so proud. Let’s go.”

“Wait!” Inej protested, wrenching her wrist out of Heleen’s grip. “I think—I think he likes me.”

“He  _ likes _ you?” Heleen repeated mockingly. Anger flashed across her face, and Inej felt like flinching. “Please, Inej, that’s demented! See, this is why you never should have left. This…  _ romance _ that you’ve invented proves that you’re too naive to be here. Seriously, why would he like  _ you _ ? He’d never be impressed with you. Trust me, mother knows—”

“ _ No _ !” Inej spat, pushing her mother away from her. She and Heleen stared at each other, shock registering through their faces—Inej had never stood up for herself against her mother. She never said no, and Heleen liked it like that. Inej never had reason  _ to _ say no. It was exhilarating to tell Heleen no. She should have done it before.

“I see how it is,” Heleen said slyly, tauntingly. “Inej knows best, you’re just so grown up and mature! If you’re so sure about Brekker, go ahead and give him  _ this _ !”

Heleen reached into her cloak and held out a bag. Inej squinted, recognizing it as the satchel Kaz had with him. The one with the costume piece. Her stomach turned to twisted steel as surprise and realization set in.

“How did you—”

“ _ This _ is why he’s here!” Heleen shouted, spewing venom. She shoved the satchel into Inej’s hands. “Don’t let him deceive you! That’s how fast he’ll leave you, I won’t say I told you so!”

“Wait—Heleen!”

“If he’s such a dreamboat,” Heleen sneered, “put him to the test.” 

With that, Heleen disappeared into the forest, leaving Inej alone with a fire almost put out and a heavy satchel. Inej’s mind was reeling with the information thrown at her. How did Heleen find out? Why did she go back to the tower? Did she suspect that Inej was lying? 

She sat back down on the tree root, putting her head in her hands. What if Kaz didn’t really feel something for her? What if he really was just in this for the money? Was that how men acted in the real world, outside her confining tower with her paints and ballet shoes and chores?

She heard the sound of non-rhythmic footsteps, recognizing it as Kaz. She searched the area for a place to hide the satchel, finally finding a hole underneath the tree. She hid it, quickly sitting back down on the root as Kaz turned the corner.

“So, I was thinking we could get to the town by the late morning if—Inej, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Inej said. She twisted a part of her hair in her hands. “I’m just… thinking.”

Kaz nodded, putting down the wood he had found and putting it into the fire. “Okay, well… it’s getting pretty late. Let’s set up a plan for tomorrow first, and then sleep.”

Inej nodded, and they stayed up until late in the night, deciding what they should do about the next day. Kaz ended up sleeping on the other side of the fire pit, and she went to sleep with dread tugging at her heart.

***

The next morning, Inej woke up to the sun peeking through the trees, warming her cheeks and body. Even though she’d been out of her tower for about a day now, she still relished in the way the soft grass felt underneath her body.

“Get the  _ hell _ off of me!"

Inej’s eyes snapped open, springing to her feet to see what was wrong. Kaz was wrestling a blonde man, who she recognized as one of the villagers who had chased them down and attacked them at the mining site the day before.

She tackled the man, pulling him off of Kaz. The man simply shrugged her off, but by then Kaz was on his feet, punching the man to death. The blonde kicked him hard in the gut, then used his advantage to attack Kaz again. They were going to kill each other. 

“Stop!” Inej commanded. She put herself between the men, shoving the blonde away from Kaz. She shot a disapproving look at Kaz, then turned her attention to the blonde. “What’s your name?”

“Matthias,” he growled.

“Matthias,” Inej repeated. The blonde nodded. “I get it. Kaz stole something from you, and you want revenge, blah blah blah.”

“Exactly.”

“But today is kind of a big day for me, so I need you to  _ not _ kill him,” Inej continued as if Matthias hadn’t spoken. Matthias opened his mouth to say something, but Inej shushed him. “Just for one day. Then you can go kill each other all you want.”

“Are you  _ kidding _ me?” Kaz groaned.

“Nope,” Inej replied.

Anger seeped out of Matthias’ face, and he seemed to contemplate it. Then, he reluctantly held out a hand towards Kaz. Kaz glared at him, fixed his gloves, and quickly shook him on it.

The three of them made their way through the forest, making small talk. Matthias was from another country up north.He was in Ravka to follow this girl he liked, and he decided to travel around more.

Matthias helped them navigate their way through the woods and onto a dirt path. They went left, following a small group of villagers. A half hour later, Inej could see glimpses of a town through the trees. A million thoughts crammed into her head all at once as excitement jolted through her body like a spark. She sprinted ahead of Kaz and Matthias, who were elbowing and lightly—at least, Inej hoped—punching each other. 

People—real, live people—were bustling around the town, going in and out of shops. Women in plaid dresses and aprons had baskets of food or cloth with them, while men dressed in tunics and long pants were driving wagons around. Inej couldn’t wipe the smile from her face.

A little boy ran past her, chasing a goose. She tried to get out of his way, running into a big man with greasy hands, then a woman with at least a hundred pastries on a tray. Inej, flustered, tried to walk away, but then villagers were stepping on her hair.

She turned around to try to gather her hair, finding Kaz with it in his arms. She smiled softly at him, and he huffed.

“We’ve got to figure out what to do with your hair,” Kaz said as they walked through the town. Inej wanted to go to so many places already, it was too overwhelming.

“Inej is Suli,” Matthias said. Kaz’s face paled. “There’s a celebration later tonight. There are caravans on the other side of town. Maybe they could help?”

Inej nodded enthusiastically. Finally, one place to go before she could be able to explore. “Let’s go.”

As they made their way across town, Kaz kept his face away from some of the villagers. Matthias had business to take care of, and he insisted on dragging Kaz with him. Inej was dropped off by a purple and golden caravan, taking in her surroundings.

Men and women were dressing for something. She quietly walked by, feeling a sense of familiarity with the 

One man spotted her, his eyebrows lifting in slight surprise. He walked up to her, asking a question in a language she didn’t know. She shrugged, then the man repeated the question in Ravkan, “Are you here for the celebration?” 

“Um, yes,” Inej answered, feeling slightly guilty for lying.

The man held up a hand, looked her up and down, and raised a brow. “Come, we’ll get you some proper clothes.”

_ Proper clothes? _ Inej frowned. As she followed the man, she looked down at her dress. She admitted it was dirty, but it wasn’t that bad for whatever it was for. She was led to a woman named Divya, who wore a beautifully embroidered dark blue dress. Inej awkwardly stood there as the man and Divya spoke, then the man left, and Divya was reaching into her trunks.

Inej found out that the dress she was wearing was called a lehenga. Divya had given her a purple and golden one, with a dupatta to match. Divya helped her get into it, trying to avoid the hair until it was time to deal with it. Inej sat down on pillows as Divya began to braid it.

“What’s the celebration for?” Inej asked after a minute..

Divya was silent for a while. “Many, many years ago, I lost my daughter,” she began. Sadness clouded her eyes. “She was stolen from me. Every year, we come back here to light lanterns in her honor. Every day, I pray that she is safe.”

“I’m sorry,” Inej whispered. “I hope she’ll come back.”

The corner of the woman’s mouth quirked up. “Yes, hopefully. My daughter would be around your age, now.”

Inej smiled. They were silent as the woman finished her hair, tying geraniums into it. She put a tika’ on her head, then Inej had been gifted rings and bracelets, carefully and gently putting them on. Looking in the mirror, she felt at  _ home _ .

***

Inej found Kaz sitting on a bench in the town square. He was dressed in trousers and a dark brown tunic, a matching vest buttoned up. He still had his gloves and cane, of course, but she thought he looked more handsome in this outfit than the old, drab and dirty outfit.

As soon as he turned his head, his eyes widened. 

“How do I look?” she asked.

“You look…” his voice trailed off. “Uhm—great. You look great.”

“Thank you,” she said, her cheeks flushing. She smiled. “You look better in this than your attire from—what was it? Kerch?”

Kaz nodded, and she thought she saw a hint of a smile. He opened his mouth to say something, but a crowd caught Inej’s eye. She pointed to the other side of the square excitedly.

Men and women were gathering around a small band. Inej immediately joined in, uniting the other villagers into a dance. She was leaping in the air, stomping to the rhythm as she danced with men and women alike. She knew Kaz wasn’t for dancing, but someone must have dragged him into it, because occasionally they caught each other’s eyes as he would stumble through the steps and she would giggle in his direction.

Eventually, as the song ended, Inej found herself in Kaz’s arms. They stared at each other, not knowing what to do, as the crowd cheered for the villagers and musicians. As everyone dispersed, they awkwardly let go of each other; Inej didn’t want to let him go, and she sensed that he didn’t want to, either.

“I rented a boat,” he said, scrubbing the back of his neck. “It’s down at the docks. We could see the lanterns on the boat.”

“I would love that,” Inej said. She followed him down a path to the docks, where they mounted the boat. Remembering the unfortunate deal she’d made, she placed the satchel underneath her seat. Despite Heleen’s words, she would not let this night go to waste.

Kaz started rowing out, Inej’s excitement and dread growing with each second.


	9. Chapter 9

It took a half hour for Inej and Kaz to get to a spot for a decent view. The sun had just started to set, and despite the amount of boats around them, the water was calm. Kaz set down the oars, letting out a sigh. Inej rested her chin on her hand, impatiently waiting for the lanterns.

She was trying really, really hard not to let Heleen’s words haunt her. What if her mother was right? What if Kaz was really in it for that costume piece? What if he didn’t care about her? That satchel was pulling her down; it felt like she was sinking. She had to know Kaz’s true intentions.

And what about now? What about those lanterns? What would she feel once she saw those extra stars light up her life? What would she feel immediately after? She dreaded it. She dreaded going back to her tower. She dreaded Tante—

“Are you okay?” Kaz asked, snapping Inej out of her thoughts.

Inej sighed. “I’m terrified,” she mumbled. She turned to face him. “I’ve been in that tower for eighteen years, looking outside a window,  _ dreaming _ about this day, and what it might feel like once I saw those lights up close. But…what if it’s not everything I dreamed it would be?”

“It will be,” Kaz said. “And, if it is, that’s the good part. You get to go find a new dream.”

The corner of Inej’s lips quirked into a smile. “Thanks.” 

They watched the water for a while, the boat causing ripples, warping their reflections. Inej marveled at the way her lehenga looked on her, admiring the golden embroidery. She’d never worn something so elegant and light. She thought back on what that woman said about her.  _ My daughter would be around your age. _ Inej felt flattered, and she couldn’t help but feel connected to her, somehow.

“Inej, look,” Kaz said, pointing behind her. She turned her head and gasped, recklessly standing up to get a better view of the sky. The lanterns floated high, lighting up the night, flickering in and out of existence, making the actual stars look like nothing.

Inej spent her entire life waiting for this moment, wondering if being stuck in that stupid tower was her fate. She spent so long in the dark, but here, at last, Inej saw the light. She was certain now that being in the world was where she was meant to be.

She looked back at Kaz and saw him holding two lanterns in his hands. Her heart beat loudly in her ears as she sat down, gently taking one of the lanterns from him. The one she held had an embroidered geranium on it, thread sparkling gold in the candlelight. Together, they pushed their lanterns into the sky, and watched as they joined the hundreds of lights above them. 

She wasn’t sure how long she’d spent there, head tipped back as she watched the sky. Looking at her dream, the world felt like it had shifted. It was like a gloomy fog lifting.

Everything looked different to her, and Inej couldn’t help but think it was because of Kaz.

* * *

When Inej showed up in the town square, Kaz thought his heart had stopped beating. He was impatiently waiting for her to come back, expecting her in her usual dress—which was dirty, soggy, and caked in dust—but the way those flowers looked in her braided hair, along with the golden embroidery around her lehenga, Kaz couldn’t help but stare at her.

Kaz watched Inej now, excitedly leaning over the boat to save a stray lantern, pushing it back into the night. If the lighting was just right, her jewelry would flash, and for just a second it would look like she was adorned in constellations. She flashed him a smile, and he thought she looked like one of those Suli Saints he heard about in the village.

Ever since Jordie died, Kaz felt that his entire life was in a blur. He felt like he was in the dark, chasing nothing. He’d mastered lockpicking, he became a gang leader, and now he was in another country guiding a girl out of her tower to witness the one night a year where there were more stars in the sky. Inej shined her way into his life like the sun. Maybe  _ she _ was a star.

_ Anywhere you go, _ he thought.  _ I’ll come with you. _

“I have something for you,” Inej said, reaching underneath her seat. She pulled out a brown leather bag, and Kaz realized it was his satchel. “I should’ve given it to you before, but…I was kind of scared. But  _ now _ I’m not, you know what I mean?”

Against everything his reflexes told him, Kaz laid his hand on hers. He put down the satchel. “I’m starting to.”

Inej leaned in slightly, and he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. He was about to close the distance between them, but he saw a strange light in the distance, about a hundred feet away from the village. In the bonelight’s ghostly glow, he saw Specht’s form, smirking. 

Kaz pulled back reluctantly, feeling dreadful.  _ What does he want? _

“Is something wrong?” Inej asked. 

“No, everything is fine,” he said hastily. He eyed the satchel, then Inej, then the light in the distance. “I have to take care of something. Is that okay?”

“I mean, sure,” Inej said. Kaz nodded, grabbing the oars and rowing them back to shore. As soon as they made contact with the shore, he leapt out.

“Stay here,” he told her. He took the satchel in his hands. “I’ll be back.”

Inej nodded, and Kaz turned, limping away from the boat. Everything in him told him to stop, turn around and pretend he never saw Specht and Rotty. He should have done that. But he didn’t want any bad blood in the future. Not anymore.

He walked to another part of the beach, obscured from Inej’s view. Specht was sitting beside a small campfire, a boat tied to a rock just a few yards away. He was sharpening a knife.

“Hey, I’m sorry I left you,” Kaz began awkwardly. He tossed the satchel to him. “You guys can keep it. I don’t need—”

He felt a pair of hands on him, turning him around to face Rotty. Before Kaz could do anything, Rotty struck a blow to his jaw, sending Kaz into the sand. Specht pushed himself to his feet, tossing his knife aside.

“We heard you got something more valuable than a Suli costume piece,” Specht said.

“What are you talking about?” Kaz rasped.

Rotty stepped on his broken leg, and Kaz sucked in a breath, cursing them out. “The thing we want now is the girl you’ve been traveling with.”

_ Fuck! _ Kaz thought. He kicked Rotty with his good foot and succeeded taking the pressure off his broken ankle. Pushing himself to his feet, he vowed that they would not take Inej. They’d have to kill him, first. 

He tried punching Rotty in the nose with his left fist, but Specht grabbed his arm. They wrestled, and eventually Specht was on top of Kaz, throwing punches. Specht shoved him off as Rotty grabbed his head and pushed it underneath the water.

_ No _ , he thought.  _ Not again. _

He had to get to Inej. He promised her he’d come back for her. He promised her he’d bring her back to that tower safely.

_ Inej, _ he thought as black dots filled his vision.  _ I’m sorry. _

Kaz blacked out.


	10. Chapter 10

Inej waited for what seemed like forever, dread building with every second. She never took her eyes off of the last place she’d seen 

Inej let out a sigh of relief. “I was starting to think you ran off with the bag and left me.”

Then the figure turned into two figures, and Inej stepped back, scared. One man was adorned with tattoos; he looked like one of those sailors she’d read about in her books. The other had scars along his face, and he was bigger than the other.

“He did,” said the man with tattoos along his neck. 

“What?” she asked, anger and shock rising within her. “No. He wouldn’t do that.”

“See for yourself,” said the man. He pointed to the water, where a small sailboat floated, but it was hard to see who was driving. She squinted, and to her disbelief she saw Kaz driving it away.

_ “Kaz!” _

“A somewhat fair trade,” rasped the other man with the scars. He ran a hand along her hair like a spider. “A costume piece for the girl with magic hair. How much would someone pay for eternal youth?”

Understanding set in, and suddenly Inej’s guts turned to twisted steel. What her mother said was right; Kaz did just want the damn satchel. Everything was a show—the boat ride, the dancing, traveling with her.  _ Everything _ . He was a thief, a liar, and a conman. He would’ve done anything for that costume piece, anything for the money. She should’ve known. She should’ve listened.

In fear, Inej sprinted away from the men, and they gave chase. She tried to lose them in the woods, hoping branches and bushes would help hide her, but it was no use. Eventually, her braid caught on a fallen log, and she desperately tried to free herself.

She heard two  _ whumps _ , and a terrified, yet familiar, voice screamed,  _ “Inej?” _

_ Tante Heleen? _ Inej thought. Heleen, cloaked, came around the corner, worry and terror written all over her face. 

“Inej!” she shouted, dropping a log and running towards her. They embraced each other, Inej feeling safe in her arms once again. “I was worried, so I followed you—I saw them attack you! Are you hurt?”

Inej shook her head. Heleen urged her to run with her, to travel back to her tower. Inej couldn’t help but look in the direction of the sea, and through the thicket of branches she could see glimpses of the boat Kaz was riding. 

Tears fell down her cheeks with the guilt and shame. Heleen was right about Kaz, she couldn’t deny it. Even though it hurt her to do it, she turned back to her mother, wiping her tears away. She steeled herself before starting the journey back to the tower.

_ Goodbye, Kaz, _ she thought with a heavy heart. 

***

By the time Inej and Heleen made it back to the tower, she could see the sun shining over the horizon, lighting up her room. They began to undo Inej’s braid, taking out every small flower.

“There, it never happened,” Heleen said as she dropped the last geranium into a basket. Inej didn’t want it to end. She kept staring at her hands as Heleen stood up and walked out of Inej’s room. “I tried to warn you what the real world was like, my little flower.”

Inej didn’t say anything. Heleen made her way down the stairs, and Inej flopped onto her bed. She didn’t miss her ceiling. She didn’t miss her bed. She wanted to be in the village again, dancing. She wanted to be in those caravans again. She felt at home with the women and men, the acrobats and jugglers. She couldn’t place her finger on why, though.

Inej looked at her tika’, the golden head piece that was given to her by the Suli woman. She smiled at the memory of such a gift being given to her—she felt like she was important, like she belonged with the men and women who treated her like family.

She looked back up at her ceiling, and she thought she saw the strangest thing. She could have sworn that, in some of the paintings, she saw the shape of the tika’.  _ There’s no way that could be, _ she thought, standing up to get a closer look.  _ I must be imagining things. _

But then she saw it again and again. It was like something inside her knew how it would look, despite never having seen the headpiece in her life. Then she saw vines, the same embroidery on her lehenga, creeping up the walls and ceiling. In the middle of the ceiling, near the light, she saw a blooming geranium.

Inej’s mind split as she crashed into something. She’d been lied to all her life about where she came from. Heleen was not her mother, her family was not dead. Her family were just hours away, missing their daughter, their niece, their cousin,  _ her _ . She wasn’t just Inej; she was Inej Ghafa, and she needed to go home.

“Inej? Are you alright?” Heleen’s voice sent anger coursing through Inej’s veins. She stepped out of her room.

“I’m that missing girl,” Inej said sternly, staring down Heleen. The woman paled, but tried to laugh it off. Inej pointed a finger at her. “You lied to me! You lied about my  _ family _ !”

“Why would you say something so ridiculous?” Heleen asked, taking a step towards her. 

Inej pushed her away. “It was you!” she shouted. “It was all you! You stole me! I spent my entire life hiding from people who I thought would use me for this power. I should have been hiding from you.”

Darkness flashed across Heleen’s face. “And where will you go? To Brekker? He won’t be waiting for you.”

_ Kaz _ . Inej didn’t even think about him. Heleen lied about him, too. “What did you do to him?” she seethed.

“He is a criminal,” Heleen said, a satisfied smile spreading. Inej wanted to slap it off. “He will be hanged for his crimes.”

“No!” Inej shouted in disbelief.  _ Kaz can’t die. _ “You’re lying.”

“This is what  _ should _ be happening,” Heleen said, raising her hand to pat her head. Inej caught her wrist and squeezed.

“You were wrong about the world,” Inej spat. Heleen tried fighting back, but Inej kept squeezing harder. “You were wrong about  _ me _ ! I will  _ never _ let you use my hair  _ again _ !”

With that, Heleen wrenched her wrist out of Inej’s grip. She stumbled, knocking into the mirror, breaking it into a million shards. Inej glared at her before turning around, walking towards the window.

A hand cupped Inej’s mouth. An arm wrapped around her torso. She never made it to the ledge.


	11. Chapter 11

Kaz woke up with a throbbing headache, tied to the mast of a boat, his hands tied to the wheel. His vision and memory were slightly hazy, and he saw figures surrounding him.

“Inej…” he mumbled. Then everything became clear. Specht, Rotty, the damn money.  _ Inej is going to die. _ “Inej!”

He began to writhe against his restraints, trying to punch and kick at the people surrounding him. They all looked angry, triumphant, or a mix of both. With horror, he realized they were the Ravkan villagers he’d been running from.

They grabbed him, making sure he couldn’t fight them by wrenching his arms behind his back. He winced as they dragged him, but all he could think about was Inej.

“Stop! Where’s the girl?” he shouted, trying to push back. He tried looking behind him, hoping she was magically with him, trying to get him out of this predicament.  _ Inej. Where is she? _ “Where’s Inej? Inej!”

The villagers didn’t stop. One kicked his bad leg, causing him to scream in pain, his mind reeling with the possibilities of what could have happened to Inej by now. The townspeople gathered around, watching him. He spotted Matthias among the crowd. He had to think of something.

“Inej!” he screamed again, staring at Matthias. “Please, let me go! The girl I was with is in trouble!”

He saw Matthias’ eyes widen, then the Fjerdan backed out of the crowd, towards the woods. Some form of relief flooded through Kaz’s body, knowing that Matthias would be doing something to help Inej. He didn’t care what happened to him—as long as Inej was safe, his life didn’t matter.

He was thrown into a cell, watching as a post was being set up in the square. He quickly realized they were making a gallows, and he sucked in a shaky breath. He would die for what he did, and he could do nothing about it.

***

It didn’t take very long for guards to come to him, and he held out his hands. They cuffed him, guiding him through the long stone hallway. He peeked through some cells, seeing old crones who looked starved, a young woman who had blood on her clothes, and two men sitting dejectedly in one cell. They looked strangely like—

_ Specht and Rotty, _ Kaz realized, anger rising. He shoved one guard, kicked the other back and knocked them to the ground, buying him time. He grabbed Rotty’s shirt and pulled him against the bars so hard, Kaz knew he would get bruises for a week. He deserved more than that, but Kaz could deal with this small satisfaction.

“How did you know about Inej?” Kaz seethed, spitting onto Rotty’s face. “Tell me,  _ now _ !”

“It wasn’t us!” Rotty confessed. “It was the old lady!”

Old lady? That was odd. No one knew about Inej’s hair and its magic of eternal youth. Inej didn’t tell anyone except for him. The only other person he could think of was Inej’s mother.

_ Inej’s mother. _ The realization dawned on Kaz as the villagers grabbed him again, pulling him to his feet. He pushed against them again with renewed strength and motivation, shouting at them to let him go. He had to get to Inej.  _ Inej is in trouble. _

He kept fighting them until he had two hands on his back, holding him down so he was hunching. He was going to die here. Inej was going to die and he could do nothing about it.

The door in front of them slammed shut, locking. The two guards either side of him released unimpressed groans as one of them fumbled through her keys, trying to find the right key. Kaz felt something behind them, and was only slightly surprised to see Shelby and Dee tackle the guards, swiftly and quietly knocking them out.

“How did you get here?” Kaz asked as Shelby unlocked his chains. 

“That Fjerdan guy who was chasing you,” Shelby said. She unlocked the door and checked the perimeter. “He came looking for help.”

“He’s waiting for you outside with two horses,” Dee finished, handing him his cane. “Let’s get you out of here.”

Kaz wasn’t much for praying, but he couldn’t help but thank Ghezen. He wasn’t all that happy to be with rookies in the Dregs—yes, he did train them and he knew they were loyal, but still—but he could say that he was proud they were with him.

The three of them were sprinting as fast as they could, ignoring the other guards and villagers who saw them and shouted. They ran through hallways and eventually found themselves in the town square, where Claire had been clearing out a path for him.

As Dee had said, Matthias was sitting on a horse with another next to him. Kaz didn’t hesitate to mount it. He didn’t want to leave his small crew, but they cleared the path for them and were keeping the guards at bay. 

“Lead the way, Brekker,” Matthias said as their horses broke into a gallop. Kaz didn’t say anything—he raced towards the tower, his thoughts only on Inej.

Their horses ran through the forest, jumping over logs, following the path to the tower. In little time Kaz was racing through the tunnel, the familiar shock of the tower coming into view. He jumped off his horse, running to the foot of the tower. 

“Inej?” Kaz shouted, fear striking into his core.  _ Is she hurt? _ “Inej, let down your hair!”

A few seconds passed, and Inej’s gorgeous hair came flying out of the tower’s window. He immediately grabbed it, climbing the tower as quickly as he could. Inej had to be okay. She had to be.

“Inej, I never thought I’d see you again,” he panted as he climbed into the tower. To his horror, Inej sat in the corner, her hands bound behind her back, gagged. She was screaming something to him. He opened his mouth to say something, but the only thing that came out was a scream as something pierced his side.

He looked at the wound, blood oozing out of his side as Heleen removed a dagger. He groaned as he fell to his knees, then his side. Inej started crying.

“Look what you’ve done, Inej,” Heleen said as she stepped over his body. He was tempted to kick her, but his side hurt too much for him to do anything. “Our secret will die with  _ him _ .”

He watched helplessly as Heleen started dragging Inej to a hidden ladder in the floor. Kaz vowed that he would kill her. He would kill her himself. Inej fought back, trying to kick at Heleen, pulling towards him.

“Stop fighting me!” Heleen commanded. Inej managed to ungag herself.

“No!” Inej shouted. “I won’t! I will never stop trying to get away from you! But… if you let me heal him, I’ll go with you.”

Kaz’s mind reeled. “No,” he pleaded weakly. He would not let her sacrifice her freedom for his life. “Inej, please…”

“I’ll never run, I’ll never try to escape,” Inej promised. “We’ll be together,  _ forever _ , just like you want.”

Heleen was silent for a moment. “Fine.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is the end. 
> 
> I want to start off saying how happy I am that I was able to work on this--the movie and the books bring me so much joy, and I couldn't get the image of Rapunzel!Inej out of my mind. 
> 
> I want to thank my gang--Kaya, Shelby, Nina, Chu, Claire, and Dee--for being my pals and making sure I was on task. I love you guys so much.
> 
> Without further ado, here is the final chapter of Intertwined.

Inej watched from the edge of the stairs as Tante Heleen locked the chains around Kaz’s wrists. He was coughing, pressing his hand to the area just below his heart, trying to stop the bleeding. It wasn’t enough. She watched as Heleen stood up, brushing her dress off as though she had just simply gotten it dusty, and then turned to her. 

“Say your goodbyes, dear,” she crooned, finally allowing Inej to go to Kaz’s side to heal him.

“Saints, Kaz,” she groaned, examining the wound—it was deep, severely deep, but she could still heal it. Kaz wheezed, and this time she could see spots of blood coming out of his mouth. She grabbed a piece of her hair. “I’m  _ so _ sorry—I’ll get this healed right away—”

“ _ No _ ,” Kaz begged, pushing away from her. “No, Inej,  _ don’t _ . I can’t let you heal me.”

“And I can’t let you die,” Inej said, tears brimming her eyes. She tried reaching for him again, but he scooted away. Blood dripped down his lip. “ _ Please _ , I—”

“If you do this, Inej, then  _ you _ will die.”

Inej’s brows furrowed in sadness. That was the deal she made with Heleen, and it was something she would keep.  _ As long as you are alive, I don’t care if I’m trapped or free,  _ she vowed. But if Inej waited any longer, he was going to die. She pushed back a piece of his hair and whispered, “It will be okay.” Kaz’s lids drooped slightly, and she could tell that he was giving up. She pressed her hair to the wound and opened her mouth again. “ _ Flower, gleam and _ —” 

“Wait, Inej.” Kaz lifted his hand, brushing a lock of her hair back, pushing himself to lean in. She closed her eyes, expecting the kiss they would have shared twelve hours before. But she was wrong. 

His hand moved to hold her hair, and in that same motion he lifted his other hand with a mirror shard. It sliced through her hair, and suddenly the healing magic she once felt and had died. Her head bore no weight. 

Kaz groaned as he slumped to the floor. With horror, Inej realized she would not be able to save the Bastard of the Barrel.

Tante Heleen screamed. Inej turned her head, clutching Kaz to her. She watched in terror as the woman she once thought was her mother turn rapidly old; her golden hair now white as snow, her gorgeously smooth features now decaying. She watched as Heleen Van Houden turned to dust.

Inej’s eyes widened as the cloak fell to the floor. Tante Heleen was dead. She was free. No more magic hair, no more healing, no more song. 

But that didn’t matter to her. Kaz Rietveld mattered. Kaz Rietveld, the boy she fell in love with, the boy who sacrificed his own life for her freedom. How was she going to repay that debt now?

_ “Heal what has been hurt,” _ she pleaded to her Saints, as tears dripped onto Kaz's still-warm body.  _ “Change the fates’ design. Save what has been lost, and bring back what once was mine.” _

Gold and light shimmered around the room, glowing out of Kaz's body, his wound, his crow-black hair, almost blinding her. She gasped as the healing magic she once knew came back, watched in awe as the golden light fixed the wound, then disappeared.

A moment passed.  _ Did it not work? _

Then Kaz breathed, his cold eyes staring back at her. 

“Inej,” he whispered. He grinned, just barely. “I like the haircut. Who did it for you?”

“Kaz!” Inej laughed, unable to stop smiling. She pulled him into a hug, and he flinched, but wrapped one arm around her. “I thought you were dead, for good.”

Kaz shook his head before letting her go. She helped him stand, and they descended the tower, leaving behind her hair and all the lies Inej had grown up with. She and Kaz mounted the horse next to Matthias. She subconsciously tried to gather her hair, but remembered what Kaz had done, and silently rejoiced in the way the wind felt in her now short hair.

They guided the horses back to the village, Inej’s hand tucked into Kaz’s.

* * *

  
  


Divya was sitting outside, watching her nieces and nephews stretching, rehearsing for their show later tonight. She twiddled a small flower between her fingers, sadness looming in her heart. This time of year was always hardest for her. She missed her daughter.

_ That woman looked so much like her, _ she thought for the millionth time. Divya could never get her mind off of that woman with the long hair, who had awkwardly stepped into her caravan, asking for help. She was the first person to ever bring her happiness on her daughter’s birthday.

“Divya!” someone called. Her head snapped up at her name, seeing her husband running towards her. “She’s here. She’s back.”

“Who?” she asked as she stood up.

“Inej.”

_ Inej _ . A wave of shock rolled through her body, as though a single raindrop had fallen on the top of her head and slid to her core. She hadn’t heard her daughter’s name in so long, she almost tripped. Then she found herself running to the village, her heart filling with hope.

Divya turned a corner, and she saw the girl from yesterday. The golden embroidery on her purple lehenga caught her attention. Instead of her long hair, though, the girl had choppily cut it. She stood next to a man with dark eyes, and he turned her around.

_ Inej _ . Divya stopped in her tracks. This had to be her. This was the moment she’d know.

They walked towards each other, slowly, neither of them knowing what to do. Upon closer inspection, the girl had her husband’s fierce gaze.

“Inej?” she asked softly, cupping her cheek.

“Mama,” Inej replied. They embraced, and Divya was unable to stop shaking, relishing in the way her daughter felt in her arms.

* * *

At last, Inej Ghafa was home, quick to learn about her culture and her family. She learned how to become an acrobat, how to bake skillet bread. Kaz gave up his life of crime and ended up staying in Ravka, traveling with Inej and her family. Eventually they bought a boat, sailing the True Sea.

Neither of them left each other’s side. No matter where they were or where they went, they were always within vicinity of each other. They were twin flames, and never parted. 

The End.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this, leave a kudos and comment! Check out my tumblr, (wybiegowritey), and check out my gang's tumblrs:
> 
> shelbychild, kayadoodles, mitdemadlerimherzen, clearlynotclaire, wang-fireee, and oranges-and-stuff! I love you guys so much!!


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